


How Important You Are

by TipsyTippi



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, First Time, Fluff, M/M, just feelings, klance, klangst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-19 01:30:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15499290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TipsyTippi/pseuds/TipsyTippi
Summary: “I didn’t know how to handle it all,” Keith’s voice cracks, “before leaving Voltron. When I found out I was half Galra, when Shiro disappeared, when I had to pilot the Black Lion, when Shiro came back, all of it, the only thing that kept me from drowning was you. And I didn’t know how to handle it.”Keith and Lance share an important moment following their final battle with Lotor. Some angst, some fluff, happy endings. Post S-6





	How Important You Are

It had been a long while since the Paladins of Voltron felt so beat up, worn down, tired, and victorious. They'd seen countless confrontations together and, for the most part, had seen the majority become victories. This time, however, despite the high they were riding in having defeated a Galran Prince, saving the universe, and escaping with their lives, it was dulled by the loss of their home and the injuries they were sporting as a result of their closest battle yet. 

The lions landed on Olkari for lack of a better place to return to. It had taken days of piloting following a few too many near-death close calls and it took only the sight of the beds in the guest house the Olkari set up for the Legendary Defenders to reduce Hunk to tears and for the majority of the group to fall onto the mattresses and pass out for the next day at least. 

The majority, except for Keith and Allura, who were able to keep awake long enough to follow the Olkarians to their med bay which held their own state-of-the-art healing pods in which Shiro was placed to keep him stable after his body's deadly fight with Keith and his spirit's harrowing experience within the Black Lion. Only once they were assured that he was stabilized did the remainder of Team Voltron make their way towards their own rooms. 

The next few days played out mainly the same way. The paladins rested, ate the abundance of food brought to them in the living area, took turns to the med bay for short stints in the healing pods (not to mention frequent trips to visit their unconscious leader), but mainly rest was their best medicine. Even after the team had recovered from their physical exhaustion the mental toll was still a hurdle the team was dealing with. Despite their prowess and confidence in their abilities, almost losing one's life had its effects. The team found comfort and support in being around one another. They could start on their plans on how to make it back to Earth once they had soaked up as much of this half-vacation as they could get. 

Hunk and Pidge found the time during the week to check on their lions and to assist the Olkarians in repair efforts while Allura and Coran planned out their course and prepared for the return journey to Earth. Romelle stuck close to the Alteans of the group, Allura and Coran as eager to learn all they could of her and their people as she was about learning about past, forgotten histories of Altea. Krolia stuck to herself when she was not spending her time with Keith, aware of the wary looks she received from the Olkarians, though she seemed used to such treatment. Lance always seemed to occupy his time either keeping Hunk and Pidge company or visiting the Olkarians he had befriended during their last trip planet side.

Keith, however, couldn't find it in him to relax entirely. The past few days had been difficult for him, though he would deny it until his throat was raw if asked. He'd almost lost Shiro. Again. They'd almost lost their lives, almost lost the universe, and as the pilot of the Black Lion the feeling of ultimate responsibility was hard to dispel and he couldn't help but feel a little shaken when reminded of how the events of their battle with Lotor almost played out. It had all seemed easier in the moment, running on instinct, than after when he had time to really process all that had happened. It wouldn't get easier. He knew that, and he was preparing himself for the journey that lied ahead of them, but he wasn't reaping all of the benefits like the rest of the team. Not to mention...

Keith heaved a deep sigh, nerves causing his foot to tap and drum his fingers where his hand rested on his hip. It was night on Olkari, and Spring at that. The sounds of insects filtered in through the open windows and the soft lighting that lit the hallways left the house feeling warm and safe. The breeze that could be felt through the Olkari robes that everyone had been gifted shifted silently along Keith's arm as he raised his fist for the dozenth time to knock on the Blue Paladin's door. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.

In the days they had spent here neither Keith nor Lance had spoken to each other directly. Neither had directly acknowledged the other. Neither even glanced in the other's direction. It was not out of anger or rivalry like it might have been in the past, this was more out of awkwardness. There was a lack of knowledge on how to breach the wall between them. And there was an air of sadness around that fact as they could feel the eyes of the other on them when they turned the other way. 

Keith huffed in frustration with himself, lowering his fist and was almost prepared to give up his attempts tonight when the door in front of him slowly opened to reveal Lance leaning against the wall just inside the door, probably having been waiting there all along. Keith froze, not sure whether to be embarrassed having been caught camped outside of Lance's door, or relieved that Lance had opened it so that he could get over his inability to knock on the damn thing and finally acknowledge... whatever needed to be acknowledged between them.

They stared at each other, the atmosphere somber, before Lance opened the door further so that it was wide enough for Keith to step inside. "You can stay out there all night, or you can come in," Lance said teasingly, but there was an undercurrent of trepidation there.

"I didn't know if you wanted to talk," said Keith.

"I'm inviting you in, aren't I? C’mon.”

* * *

  _C'mon, man," Lance whined from the floor, staring up at Keith with an annoyed pout._

_"No complaining. You asked me to help, this is how I'm helping. Deal or ask someone else," Keith met Lance's pout with a frown of his own. He shouldn't have agreed to help Lance refine the self-defense moves Shiro had been teaching them. Yes, Lance was clumsy with them, and yes, Keith had picked them up quickly enough, but he should have known that having Keith as a teacher would equal more moaning and groaning than he would give Shiro._

_...Or complaining. Not moaning and groaning. Not that._

_Lance sat up and groaned loudly, "Well, I'm kind of a beginner at the whole fighting thing. I'm more of the point and shoot kind of guy."_

_Keith sighed, maybe a little more dramatically than necessary, and walked to the edge of the training room to grab the water bottle there, "It just takes practice."_

_"Yeah, we've been practicing all day and the only thing I've gained is a sore tailbone," Lance said._

_Keith sat across from Lance on the floor crossing his legs and gulping from his water bottle, "First of all, it’s only been an afternoon. Second, you won't nail it in a day. You have to keep at it."_

_Lance pouted, "Is practice the only advice you have?"_

_"No, but it’s the best I've got."_

_"Mhmm, and what is the bad advice?"_

_Keith smirked, "Maybe you just have to find the right incentive."_

_Lance's expression turned suspicious as he studied him. His eyes flitted up and down Keith's face before humming in consideration. "Okay," he said, "Like what?"_

_Keith darted forward, too quick for Lance to react or even process what was happening before Keith's lips softly pressed to his. There was a light smack as their lips parted and Lance was left staring, wide-eyed and with his jaw dropping open, at Keith's smug grin. Keith raised himself to his feet and casually stretched his arms above his head, "How about every time you land a hit on me I'll give you another."_

_Lance blinked, eyes wide and mouth hanging open looking comically like a fish out of water before his brain seemed to start back up and he shook his head. "Wait," he choked, "Did you just- Keith wait, I get what? Hey, Keith!"_

_Keith just laughed and darted away as Lance jumped to his feet and enthusiastically gave chase._

* * *

 Giving chase as Lance retreated into the room Keith stepped inside. He walked to the center of the room listening to the door softly shut behind him. He turned to face Lance who took a few steps towards his bed, clearly leaving the way to the door open. 

"I probably should have done this earlier," Keith said in way of apology.

Lance shrugged, "The last few days have been kind of crazy. I get it. And... I didn't really know what to say."

"Me neither."

They both shared a wry smile. God, this was weird. Not awkward. There wasn't the hesitation or nerves that Keith had been expecting to experience. They met each other’s eyes, and maybe it was wishful thinking on his part, but Keith thought he saw longing in the gaze that held his own. There was some kind of energy between them. Hell, there always had been. It had always drawn them together. Now, it was laced with apprehension. Things weren't the same between them.

Keith decided to bite the metaphorical bullet. Say what he came to say. And if this all blew up in his face, then he would leave and accept it; but before Keith could open his mouth Lance was speaking.

"Look. This could be super dramatic with the 'I shouldn't have said this' or 'I should have done that' and we could hash out all of that crap tonight. Or we could just save it for later and be grateful we're alive and I can just kiss you now," Lance said.

Keith's eyes grew wide and a warmth spread through his chest. Relief, gratitude, and fondness all mixing together to get his heart pounding faster and he felt his cheeks warm as a smile spread across his face for the first time in days. "Yeah," he almost choked, "yeah, that sounds-"

Lance was across the room before he could blink, hands cupping his face as he eagerly pressed his lips to Keith's, who wasted no time to wrapping his arms around his waist. Their lips moved together, practiced and smooth, and they clutched each other tightly. When they finally broke apart for breath Lance's head dropped like a dead weight onto Keith's shoulder and held him almost painfully tight.

"I think there were at least three separate times where I thought I'd lost you," said Lance and he chuckled mirthlessly. 

Keith embraced him as close to his body as he could manage, "You know me better than that. I'm hard to keep down."

Lance lifted his head and gently gripped Keith's chin tilting his face to get a better look at the long burn mark that ran down his face and the side of his neck. It would scar, and Keith hadn't thought much of it until he saw the look in Lance's eyes. He gripped Lance's hand and drew it away from his face, "I'm fine."

"Like hell."

Keith couldn't help the small quirk of his lips at the fire that was burning in Lance's eyes. And it felt good, to smile like that, again, after all the time that had passed. And he liked to imagine that he saw an answering grin ghosting across Lance's face as well before concern swiftly returned to cover it.

Feeling spontaneous, Keith turned Lance’s hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. “I’m fine,” he said, more emphatically, “trust me.”

* * *

  _You've just got to trust me," Lance said._

_He gripped Keith's hand tightly in his clearly giving away his over-eagerness as he pulled the other down the winding halls of the castle. The lights were half dimmed, the ship being in the middle of its night cycle and the only sound besides their hurried footsteps being the subtle hum of the engines that reverberated through the walls._

_"I've been in this castle as long as you have, I'm pretty sure there's nothing in it worth running to like this," Keith said, pulling on Lance's hand in an attempt to slow him, though the attempt was only halfhearted and he didn't slow his pace when Lance refused to give in._

_"Oh, just you wait. I only just found this room the other day. I know no one has been in there for god knows how long because I asked Allura about it and she kind of looked like she'd forgotten the place was even there, which blew me away because how could you! Especially on your own ship when-"_

_"Lance!" Keith raised his voice a notch to keep the other paladin from drifting into another tangent line of thought. He almost felt the need to roll his eyes, keeping this boy focused seemed to be a full-time task. "What room?" he said._

_"You'll see in a minute," Lance turned his head to flash Keith a smile. His eyes crinkled at the corners, his excitement shining in his eyes, and he squeezed Keith's hand in a small reassuring gesture. Keith huffed, but he moved to match his pace with Lance's and threaded their fingers together giving them a responding squeeze._

_They stopped in front of a door that wasn't unlike any of the others on the ship, no signage, no decor, the only difference possibly laying in the fact that it seemed quite spaced out from the any of the other doors in the passageway that in the moment almost seemed ominous paired with Lance letting go of his hand to present the door to him in a wide, exaggerated gesture. "Here we are! First, close your eyes."_

_"No."_

_"Aww, c'mon Keith. I promise it'll be worth it."_

_Keith stubbornly crossed his arms, "Why do my eyes need to be closed?"_

_Lance's face dropped into a pout before crossing his own arms to mirror Keith's posture, "Is that a serious question? It's a surprise, dude."_

_"I don't like surprises," Keith said, deadpanned._

_"Shocker."_

_Keith cast his eyes to the floor and sighed. He glanced up through his lashes at Lance who gave him a pleading look, wide eyes and wobbly lips. It looked ridiculous. It looked insanely cute. Keith rolled his eyes slowly and dramatically, before closing them tightly and uncrossing his arms to place his hands on his hips in a defeated gesture._

_He heard an excited chuckle and quick footsteps before feeling a pair of hands on his shoulders gently guiding him forward. He heard the light swish of the door automatically opening for them. He felt a cool rush of air escape the room before he was being led through. He listened to their footsteps that as they walked seemed to almost gain an echoing effect. He got the sense the space they entered was large; darker than the hallway if the lack of light filtering through his eyelids was anything to go by, but Lance continued to guide him forward with sure steps before gently bringing them to a halt._

_He listened to Lance's hurried stride as he quickly darted in front of Keith and he held his breath at the pause that followed. He could almost feel the anticipation vibrating around Lance and he felt his lips turn upward at the corners. He hoped that Lance couldn't tell._

_"Now?" Keith said._

_Lance hummed in soft affirmation. "Now," he said._

_Keith slowly opened his eyes and felt them continue to widen as he took in the view in front of him. He was standing before a wall of plane glass stretching stories up from the floor, convex to give the illusion that one could step forward and be surrounded by the multitude of stars beyond. The space was dimmed, lit only slightly by the starlight filtering in through the glass. And in front of him, closer than he'd ever seen through the few portal windows aboard or even from the wide windows of the bridge, was a swirling galaxy, illuminated in arrays of purples, blues, and pinks, the center a bright yellow that through the glass seemed to cast an ethereal glare over the whole view which spanned the entire dimension of the glass wall. The small clusters of stars within the swirls of color seemed to twinkle with a soft light, adding a rippling of movement over the galaxy's expanse._

_Keith felt small, awed, and his chest felt tight in an almost indescribable sense of inviolability. He lived in space. He fought in space. He'd seen space before; but with the constant struggle against the Galra they lived in he rarely remembered to really look at it and be reminded of why he joined the garrison in the first place. The wonder and beauty that was held there. The perspective it gave, to feel so small yet feel so centered. Unable to grasp his place in the vastness of the universe yet have a sense of peace in that he was lucky enough to be here and witnessing any of this at all._

_Keith felt a hand grasp his and he jumped, inhaling a breath that he hadn't even realized had been stolen. He looked towards Lance, having forgotten he was even there. Lance was smiling at him, his eyes twinkling with the knowledge that they were sharing the same wondrous feeling and he could feel a matching smile on his own face._

_And just as Keith had forgotten the man standing next to him in the face of this reverential pocket of the universe, he forgot the galaxy in front of him when he held Lance's gaze, his eyes seeming to shine with a deeper blue than the twinkling stars behind the glass. He felt the same sense of awe looking at this man next to him, so small and yet so centered._

_Keith squeezed Lance's hand._

* * *

Their hands moved to lace together, squeezing gently. Their eyes caught and as if on some unspoken concession both boys leaned forward, foreheads touching and arms wrapping gently around waists. Keith breathed in and it was like an invisible band that he didn't know had been constricting his chest suddenly loosened and he relaxed into the embrace, truly calm and with the scent of Lance surrounding him. They stayed like that for several minutes, swaying back and forth as they breathed in each other’s air and occasionally tightening their grips on the other's hip as if for reassurance that he was there. Maybe it was the serene atmosphere that was gently surrounding them or the fact that Keith didn't feel like he could really unwind for days, more than likely the latter, but he slumped forward onto the boy in front of him. He buried his face into the crook of a shoulder and sighed deeply and contentedly.

Lance softly laid a hand on the back of Keith's head, fingers combing lazily through thick strands of hair before he pulled himself away far enough to look at Keith's face. "Come to bed," he said, looking a little sheepish when Keith hesitated, “Not like we haven’t done it before.”

* * *

  _"_ _You ever do this before?" Lance huffed as mouths broke apart._

_The two of them were lying on Keith's bed, shirts tossed to the floor and jeans kicked off to the far end of the bed. Hands were groping along heated skin, eager but purposefully avoiding where they most wanted hands to touch as they explored newly-exposed skin. The only sounds were the rustling of the sheets and their ragged breathing and the occasional smacking of lips. It was messy, and unrefined, but damn if the sight of Lance slowly losing his mind just from kissing him wasn't the hottest thing Keith had seen in his life._

_Keith dropped his head onto Lance's shoulder, mouth running along the length of his neck with the need to keep the taste of Lance on his tongue. The groan he received along with hips that bucked into his own when he lightly bit into skin filled him with a sense of pride and heat that made his head hazy. "Yeah," he said, "a few times."_

_He felt Lance freeze for a moment before relaxing back into him. "With who?" he asked and Keith could hear that underneath the curiosity on the surface there was an undercurrent of anxiousness there._

_Keith lifted his head and met Lance's eyes, his pupils blown wide as he lightly panted through his lips. Just as Lance's general mode of being was to constantly be moving and active the same was true for him in bed and he writhed underneath Keith, hips rolling up in small circles to meet his almost unconsciously and neither could help the small gasping moans that escaped. God, Keith never knew he wanted anything so badly as he wanted this._

_He dropped his mouth again, this time trailing along a sharp jawline with suckling nips and Lance gripped his shoulders tightly at the sensation. "Who?" he asked again, breathless, but wouldn't let his question go unanswered._

_"No one of consequence," Keith said, "it was at the garrison and once or twice after I'd left."_

_"Oh." A hesitant pause._

_Keith's heart skipped a beat and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He slowly lifted his head again to look down at Lance who despite looking as though he was enjoying the attention had turned stiff and wouldn't meet his gaze again._

_"Have you? Done this before?" Keith said slowly._

_"I mean, yeah, just, you know..."_

_Keith stared at him, uncomprehending._

_Lance's face slowly turned pinker and his eyes darted around the room, trying for nonchalance but unable to meet Keith's eyes. "I'm not a virgin, but, I... I haven't- Ugh, I've only been with girls, you know?"_

_"Oh."_ Oh _. Lance blushed without it having to do with the tongue that had been down his throat a few moments prior._

_Keith slowly slid his hands down Lance's sides, taking his time to make sure that the boy beneath him could feel every glide of skin on skin as his hands ran lower. He dipped them beneath Lance, gripping his ass and raising him slightly off the bed as he moved in a slow, sensual grind against him. He could feel the hard length of his cock rub against Lance's, small wet patches gracing the front of their boxers, and Lance threw his hand back, breath hitching before a long, debauched moan was torn from his throat._

_At the sight Keith quickly tangled his fingers in Lance's hair and pulled him forcefully into a kiss, not waiting for permission before forcing his tongue inside his mouth where it was met with equal fervor._

_Once they parted for breath Keith rested his forehead against Lance's, holding his gaze, satisfied that it no longer held shyness or self-consciousness. "I've topped and bottomed before," he said evenly, no hint of shame or hesitation._

_Lance's eyes widened, flushing a little brighter with embarrassment, "I don't really know what I'm doing."_

_It was a moment of vulnerability in Lance that he'd never seen, no cockiness or smugness on display. Keith recognized it, felt his heart seize at the sight of it, at the sound of Lance's voice that echoed an all too familiar anxiety that came with having sex with someone for the first time. Insecurities, the need to impress, the need to be validated, the fear of being found wanting. Keith saw all of it, and he smiled fondly at the man beneath him._

_"I'll bottom this time, then, and I'll show you what to do," Keith said, keeping his voice level, patience as well as the heat that hadn't left him bleeding into his words._

_Lance nodded and released a shaky breath he'd probably been holding since his confession, but he seemed a bit more relaxed. Good. Time to get them back on track._

_Keith took initiative. Slowly, making sure to watch for any kind of hesitation from Lance, he slowly shimmied out of his own boxers and kicked them down to the end of the bed to join their piles of jeans. Lance's hips started to make those rolling movements again, his eyes moving down to take in Keith for the first time. He watched as red rose on his cheeks and his eyes turn lidded as he stared unabashedly._

_The intensity of Lance's gaze did things to Keith and he felt his cock pulse with need at the naked expression of wanting on his face. He was a little more eager as he hooked his fingers into Lance's waistband and with a little help as Lance raised his hips off of the bed lowered the last piece of clothing that separated them._

_Mouths clashed together again, lost in feeling and gripping hard at waists and thighs, and the first naked grind, hard flesh against flesh, had Keith breaking the kiss, biting his lip to hold back one of the more severe groans. Beneath him, Lance's back arched as though shocked, mouth dropping open and an obscene moan escaping him that sparked fire in Keith's groin. Fuck._ Fuck _._

_Everything after that is awkward and new and good. Light kisses and heartfelt laughter to cover the awkward fumbling. Shaky moans and needy hands to spur them on. Greedy mouths to devour the other as they constantly seek to get closer. They scream each other's names. Their competitive streaks get the better of them at times and it becomes a competition to see who can get the other to cry out louder, but they keep falling back into matched movements, enjoying their shared connection. They came nearly one after the other, intense and loud._

_They curl together in the aftermath staring at the dark ceiling. Even as they come down their hands move, running over arms and chests. The feeling filling Keith's chest was exhilarating, a warm, safe feeling as well as a possessive need to hold the body next to him as close as possible. They both fell asleep facing one another with soft smiles and wet kisses._

* * *

They lied down on the bed facing one another. Legs tangled, hands clutched, eyes connected. _I should say something,_ thought Keith, _I’m sorry. I’m glad to see you. This is weird._

He felt a flick against the tip of his nose and he snapped out of his thoughts, glaring up at Lance who had an eyebrow raised in an unimpressed look. “I know that look. It comes after you fall into that emo head of yours and you try to say something stupid,” he said.

“What?” Keith choked, “There’s no way I have an expression for that. And I’m not making one.” He pouted at the ceiling.

“Yeah, you do. And yeah, you are,” Lance sighed, gripping Keith’s hand tighter, “I already told you we don’t need to hash things out tonight. We can… I don’t know. Maybe it’s a little selfish, but can I just have you here tonight? Just, pretend like nothing is wrong? Like we’re still…”

Lance’s voice faded away and he turned his face further into the sheets, muscles tense and expression rigid. The joints in Keith’s hand creaked but pulling it away from Lance was the last thing he wanted to do. Keith scooted closer, maneuvering their limbs to tangle further and pressing his forehead to the boy’s in front of him.

Keith didn’t know what he expected coming here. Not a tearful reunion where they fell into bed together, he wasn’t that delusional. He more than half expected Lance to tell him to fuck off. Or maybe a bittersweet mutual agreement that they were better off the way they were now. Maybe this was the best-case scenario, halfway cuddling in Lance’s bed, no screaming or yelling, no broken hearts, but Keith couldn’t help but regret the heavy air around them. This isn’t what being together with Lance is supposed to feel like; the room felt too still, tense, almost pregnant with a promise of heartache. Keith hated it. And maybe he should listen to Lance, just let it all go tonight and appreciate what he was willing to give, but if Keith was ever good at anything it was facing things head on without considering the consequences very carefully.

“Lance,” said Keith, his voice whisper-soft, “You know I’d do things differently, right? If I had the chance?”

“Keith,” Lance’s voice was quiet, but it was hard, a warning behind it. Keith met his gaze evenly while the boy across from him was fixing him with a glare, eyes silently pleading to just drop it. Keith soldiered on anyway.

“I know it all sounds like bullshit, but I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Keith swallowed, his throat clicking with the motion, “I won’t apologize for leaving. I made that choice… and I can’t really regret it. I know its what I needed to do. To stop Lotor. To figure myself out. I was able to meet my _mother_. And maybe in retrospect that doesn’t seem as important, but it was to me.”

Keith lets his eyes slide closed, trying to consciously cease his rambling before it really starts. He takes a deep breath in and quickly exhales, too wrapped up in trying to verbalize his tumultuous thoughts to borrow time in processing the other boy’s reaction. But he can’t lose his nerve here. He had something he wanted to say, that needed to be said. And he had to spit it out, one way or another.

“I didn’t know how to handle it all,” Keith’s voice cracks, “before leaving Voltron. When I found out I was half Galra, when Shiro disappeared, when I had to pilot the Black Lion, when Shiro came back, all of it, the only thing that kept me from drowning was you. And I didn’t know how to handle it.”

Keith peels his eyes open and for the first time is aware of how still and quiet the room is. His eyes connect with Lance’s and he can see them, wide and glassy. His mouth is hanging open, and it would almost be funny if he didn’t start suddenly blinking the wetness from his eyes and his eyebrows pull together uncomprehendingly. It pulls at Keith’s heart. _I should have said this sooner. He should have known. What he means to me._

“I know,” said Keith, and he felt like he was choking on the words, “Sounds like bullshit.”

* * *

 " _T_ _his is bullshit," Lance said, there was a seething anger in his voice that was rarely heard by anyone, and Keith flinched at hearing that venom directed at him; but it didn't stop him from squaring his shoulders and meeting Lance's glare with one of his own._

_The atmosphere in Keith's room felt oppressive. The tense energy that swirled in the small space was enough to have Lance pacing restlessly while Keith stiffly leaned against the wall beside the bed. The only light in the room being the dim blue under-lighting around the edges of the floor and beneath the desk was just enough to illuminate their faces, but it served to focus all of their attention on the other. There was nowhere else in the darkness of the room to even pretend to throw their attention. The mood may have seemed private and intimate under different circumstances. Now, it made Keith feel caged, an intense roiling of anxiety in his stomach making his hands clench into fists._

_"This is the best option," Keith said, and though his voice was much calmer than Lance's there was an iciness beneath the even tone. He wasn't angry with Lance, he could never be, and he had been preparing for this very fight, but he wanted to make it clear that he wasn't backing down from his decision._

_"You're acting like someone gave you an ultimatum," Lance said, frustration dripping in his tone, "No one asked you to leave! No one said you needed to go!"_

_"There can only be five paladins, Lance. Shiro can pilot the Black Lion again, and I'm not about to take that from him. You have Red and I'm not going to ask Allura to step down from piloting Blue. We don't need-"_

_"Don't say we don't need you!" Lance shouted._

_"The team won't need-"_

_"I need you!"_

_The air in the room seemed to still and Keith could see the beginnings of tears gathering in Lance's eyes._

_"It doesn't have to be you," Lance said, his voice lower but no less powerful, "I can step down. You can take Red." There was a pregnant pause between them, the emotions flashing over Lance's face made it clear he wanted to say more but didn't know how to verbalize it; his jaw moved as though he was chewing on his words. "You can stay. I can help here in the castle. I'll find something, just... You don't need to go."_

_Keith turned his head down and stared hard at the floor. "The Blade is somewhere I am needed, Lance," Keith said, and he ignored the flinch from the boy across from him, "You're a paladin. You're a good pilot. That's why you're here. But I can offer so much more help to the Blade. I can make a difference there, focus more coordinated attacks against the Galra while Voltron takes center field and focuses on alliances. It makes sense for it to be me."_

_Lance crossed his arms tightly across his chest and turned away. "You're sure it’s not the fact that you want to leave?" he said._

_Keith stayed silent._

_Lance barked out a laugh, but there was no humor in it, "You know, you could at least be straight with me and say that this isn't enough for you."_

_Keith's eyes narrowed, "The Blade and the Coalition have the same goals."_

_"Yeah, you'd just rather leave your friends for a shadow organization that focuses on strike operations and suicide missions rather than watching each other’s backs."_

_"You know that's not true," Keith hissed. For the first time he straightened and stepped away from the wall, feeling genuine anger that he tried desperately to tamper before it could get the better of him. The way it usually did. Perhaps it was more frustration than anything, at himself for not knowing how to handle this. And maybe a deeper part of him that he wouldn't acknowledge just didn't want to hear any truth that might be in Lance's words._

_"Which part?" said Lance, "The part where Shiro is finally back on his feet and you're dipping out of the team-"_

_"Stop it."_

_"Or the part where you're interested in the Blade because they're the only Galra that will acknowledge you while still keeping the answers you're looking for hidden away-"_

_"Shut up!"_

_"Or maybe the fact that the family we have built here just isn't good enough that you decide to leave without talking to any of us, without discussing it with me-"_

_"This isn't about you!" Keith's fist slammed against the wall hard enough to produce a metallic echo through the room that cut Lance's words off with a startled gasp. Keith couldn't help the shaking of his fists or his panting breaths as he tried to keep from seeing red, but it took effort. "I chose this because it’s what I want. There! It has nothing to do with being Galra. It doesn't have to do with the team. It doesn't have to do with you and me. Being in the fight is how we make the difference, and its where I want to be."_

_Lance's eyes flitted over Keith, his expression unreadable. His hands hung limply at his sides and his gaze was glassy with tears that finally started to spill over. He let out a shuddering breath before his eyebrows pinched together, an incredulous, heartbroken smile spreading across his face. He swept his arms out to the sides in a helpless gesture, his voice desperate, "It was us that defeated Zarkon. It’s us making the difference out here. And... we did all of that by sticking together as a team. We looked after each other. I know it’s a little different now with building the Coalition, but... We're together._ We're _together," Lance gestured between the two of them, “If we're talking about what you want instead of where you're needed, isn't that enough for you to stay?"_

_Keith felt all of the aggression seep from him and his hands fall limp at his sides. His heart pounded painfully in his chest and he felt his eyes grow hot. He held Lance's gaze, which was searching his desperately for any sign of agreement, before it became too much and he turned his eyes to the ground once more._

_"Really?" Lance choked out, and he was met with more silence._

_Keith didn't dare raise his eyes, afraid of what he would see in Lance's face, and he felt his heart splinter into a million pieces when he heard the incredulous, pained huff across the room._

_"Okay, Keith," Lance said, and his voice seemed dangerously calm and even, "Good luck with the Blade. Really. I hope you find whatever the hell it is you're looking for."_

_Keith heard Lance start to head towards the door and his head snapped up. Somehow, through this fight, seeing Lance be the one to walk away wasn't something he was prepared to deal with. An anguish and panic that he didn't quite know how to process or filter flooded through him and before he knew what he was doing he was crossing the room too and reaching for Lance, "Wait! Just-"_

_"Don't touch me," Lance said tugging his hand out of Keith's reach._

_"Lance, this isn't how I wanted this to go," Keith felt the tears finally overflow._

_"Vete a la mierda," Lance said under his breath before he was gone from the room._

_Keith sat on his bed and buried his face in his hands. God, how had he so thoroughly fucked this up?_

* * *

 “I was so afraid I’d fuck it up,” Keith said, voice hoarse and raspy and he can feel a wetness gathering in his own heated eyes now, “It scared me to think about what you meant to me. When I felt like I didn’t know myself. Lance, if I could do it over, I don’t know if I would have stayed, but I know I would have told you. How important you are.”

“Yeah?” came the soft response, and when Keith chanced a glance up he could see Lance smiling behind a few stray tears falling down his cheeks. His expression was so eager, warm, and open, seeming to hang on Keith’s words. Lance squeezed Keith’s hand.

“Yeah,” a shuddering breath, a hard swallow around the knot in his throat, “that I love you.”

Keith suddenly had all of the air knocked from him as Lance launched forward, crashing their lips together, slotting together and moving the way he knew Keith liked, a tongue swiping across his lower lip in a tease that had Keith groaning into his mouth. The kiss felt desperate, impatient, aggressive and Keith ate up every gasp and small noise he could pull from him.

When they finally broke apart panting and dizzy Lance laughed, but the sound was broken. “I thought you didn’t want me,” he said.

Keith shook his head, “I wanted you. I still want you. I’m just not good at… this.” He wrapped his arms around Lance’s shoulders and hauled him in close, squeezing him so they were flush against each other and if Keith could he’d keep them like this the rest of the night.

Lance kissed lightly along the column of Keith’s throat. “I love you, too,” he said, and for the first time in what felt like years there was a genuine smile in his voice.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Keith exhaled noisily, burying his face in Lance’s hair, “Thank god.” Neither of them could help the laughter that bubbled out of their throats, ignoring the remnants of leftover tears that leaked from their eyes before kissing again.

It had been a long while since they felt so beat up, tired, and victorious. They fell asleep together, rightfully feeling like champions of the universe and having every intention of keeping their family together from here on out.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Voltron fic, I'm in love with these two idiots and I'm hoping to write more on them in the future. If you liked, please drop a kudos, or even better a comment!


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